


Still a Child in Soul and Mind

by FireflyHighway



Category: Hollow Knight (Video Games)
Genre: Childhood Trauma, Fluff and Angst, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-17
Updated: 2021-03-17
Packaged: 2021-03-25 23:07:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,317
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30096537
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FireflyHighway/pseuds/FireflyHighway
Summary: Ghost had never expected to survive their encounter with the Radiance, and hadn't even planned to do so. However, when they awake on Elderbug's  couch and in a new form, they are panicked. Moreso when they realize that they are inhabiting a form much older than themselves, even older than their father or even maybe the Radiance herself.Ghost just wishes to take a nap now.(Follows the Embrace the Void ending!)
Relationships: Hornet & The Knight (Hollow Knight), The Knight & Lord of Shades (Hollow Knight), The Knight (Hollow Knight) & Everyone
Comments: 4
Kudos: 33





	Still a Child in Soul and Mind

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiya! I've had this idea in my head for around,, a month or two but I've finally gotten around to finishing it so i hope you enjoy! Im not a good writer in any sense of the word but I hope you enjoy! So sorry for any misspellings, I have dyslexia so id rrly appreciate it if ppl could point out any spelling errors aiankajaJnaNn-

Ghost had never thought about what they would do after they had defeated the Radiance. They never even expected to live that far. Though, that whole thought process was thrown out the window when Ghost had awoken in Elderbug's living room, where they had initially panicked since they were a long way away from The Pantheon or Godseeker.  
  
That panic grew, however when they had tried to flitter their wings and felt nothing. Noticed the couch they were sat on seemed smaller, the room even more suffocating. Their hands now claws and in a state of an ever-growing panic, they had reached up and felt their horns.  
  
Way too many than they had originally.  
  
Ghost only heard the hushed voices of Sheo and Elderbug a few moments before they had successfully tipped the couch in their frenzied panic, the being finally giving up and curling into a ball, the panic and the fear finally getting to them. This was worse than Deepnest. This was worse than Quirrel's death. This was-  
  
Ghost's rapid thoughts and full body tremors were halted when a soft voice cut through their mind and two old and cracked hands rubbed one of their horns in a recognizable, soothing manner.  
  
Sheo.  
  
The painter had always been a source of comfort for the young being, Ghost enjoying the comfortable air of his house in Greenpath when they were able to visit, always bringing food (That they themselves couldn't eat, since beings of void did not need to consume food to survive and got sick if they did) for him and his husband and enjoying the impromptu art lessons they got whenever they visited, even if Sheo wasn't painting or hadn't expected them to visit that day.  
  
"It's okay, Ghost. I'm here little one, I'm here." Sheo comforted, a strained smile coming onto his face when Ghost unfolded themself and almost instantly curled around Sheo, much akin to their little friend Grimmchild. They let out a pained wail, one of the only sounds they could make, as they refused to let go.  
  
Ghost realized that they were almost bigger than Sheo now. Were definitely bigger than Elderbug, who sat down in one of his old chairs with a sympathetic look. Ohhh no.  
  
This was going to be a... really long night. 

  


Ghost sat on the couch, now upright, in the dark as they listened to Sheo snooze in the seat across from them. Elderbug had asked Hornet, after she had dragged her and apparently the fabled Hollow Knight up from the Black Egg, almost hurting Ghost in her panicked state, to go and find Godseeker, in hopes of finding an explanation of what Ghost was now (Also to give her something to do, since both Ghost and Hollow were painfully aware how antsy and jittery she got when nervous and had no outlet) so Hollow was also seated on the carpet with a blanket around their figure.  
  
Ghost was unnerved by their stature and silence. They had tried to communicate through the language the vessels had made in the Abyss but to no use, mentally scolding themself as they remembered Hollow was mute (And, to the horrific realization to Ghost, their body physically couldn't make some of the words and the little asking they did of Hallow left them feeling sore and weak, their throat, for that's what they interpreted it as, sore to hell and back). They felt Hollow's gaze, however, despite their sibling being blind. Ghost could feel the usual choking sensation they got when they remembered the Abyss. They always enjoyed spending time with Hollow and Xero back when things were simpler.  
  
After a few minutes of a practical stare down between the two, Ghost relented and dropped their gaze, picking at one of the new spikes that had appeared on their arms. It frustrated the vessel. They go through the trouble of freeing Hallownest and Deepnest of the Radiance's influence and what do they get? A form they never asked for! The frustration kept building as they picked harder, hissing in pain as some void leaked out.  
  
A cracked hand, grabbing theirs and gently pulling it away from the now bleeding spike, spooked Ghost as their gaze snapped up to Hollow, who simply stared back. Their sibling slowly got up from where they were sitting on the ground and made their way next to Ghost, the other scooting over so Hollow could sit down.  
  
No words were given between the two as they sat in silence, moreso a sense of loose understanding that both had gone through horrific ordeals to get where they were now. But, as Ghost was just starting to drift off, they felt a light tracing on their arm.  
  
'X-E-R-O-?'  
  
Huh, guess Hollow learned how to write before everything went to shit.  
  
Wait.  
  
Ghost let out a pained whine, spooking their sibling. Quickly the vessel- were they still a vessel? What WERE they now,, -grabbed their sibling into a hug, burying their face into the crook of Hollow's shoulder. Speaking in Void- as Ghost had taken to calling it- was still strenuous and painful in the way that made bright hot light flash when they closed their eyes from the pain, for their new form they inhabited but they made due though, their sibling's name choked them up, the memory of the vessel reaching out to them, the lasting remnants of the pure panic and fear on their face, haunted the small minutes they were able to rest.  
  
'Xero,,, dead' Ghost was able to stutter out before letting out a small cough and curling back into Hollow, despite almost being as big as them. Hollow nodded slowly, rubbing their back and making small and rough peeping sounds, which Ghost faintly remembered being sounds they always heard in... the egg? Around their other siblings? They couldn't remember...  
  
The air around them grew solemn again, as Ghost watched the lumiflies dance in their little glass enclosures. It.. was slightly nice. It reminded the vessel, if they could even call themselves that anymore, of home, of memories that encapsulated most of Ghost's fondest memories of hanging out with their siblings and playing their favorite games- their favorite was Terrorize The Lightbug (which Ghost knew now was the bug that failed at their job of keeping the lighthouse on).  
  
Realizing with a start that Hollow had fallen asleep, the gentle rise and fall of breaths the beings did not need but enjoyed anyway telling them, Ghost curled more into their older siblings hold, an uneasy happiness blooming in their chest. Their form may be janked and they might have to relearn everything but, at least they had their sibling back and when Hornet gets back, they'll be able to maybe, just maybe, experience what they had read in many of the 'fantasy' books Lemm had given them when he had found out they couldn't read- stories of massive families, always looking out for eachother, and stories of siblings going through trial after trial in order to save eachother because that's what family did.  
  
If they had a mouth, they would guess that they would be smiling. Family... Family wasn't a word Ghost had known. There were Siblings, and Esmer, and there was the Lightbug in the Abyss, then there was Danger and Rest before they had begun to properly "talk" (Read: small squeaks and aggressive pointing to stuff before the old bug sat them down and taught them the limited sign language he knew) Elderbug and meet the other old and war torn bugs on their journey.  
  
Now, Ghost guessed, that their rag-tag group of scarred and traumatized old bugs, with their siblings included, counted as family. Family... it had a nice ring to it, one that Ghost enjoyed.  
  
They fell asleep with the word Family in their mind and blissful ignorance to the strenuous and stressful hell they were about to experience.


End file.
